


Welcome to Desert Bluffs

by ImaginAria



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-23
Updated: 2015-08-23
Packaged: 2018-04-16 14:31:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4628799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImaginAria/pseuds/ImaginAria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How Kevin became the voice of Desert Bluffs</p>
            </blockquote>





	Welcome to Desert Bluffs

The man was roughly thrown to his knees on the stone floor. He was panting heavily, pale skin sheened with sweat, blond hair disheveled, gold shirt untucked and tie half pulled off. The woman on the dais smirked, and then was disappointed that the man didn't look up to see it.  
“Mr...Free, wasn't it? You've caused quite a number of problems for us. But I suppose it all came down to nothing in the end. Your friend the Outsider betrayed you for passage out of the town, your companions have all joined us in worship of the Smiling God; they've started being productive! See?” she gestured, and a line of office workers entered, each one dressed to the nines, eyes blank and smiles so wide that their features were stretched, distorted into something that was really no longer a smile.  
The man gasped, obviously seeing them, but still refused to meet her eyes.  
“You may go,” she said, and they disappeared again. “They're all so productive and happy! They've reached their full potential! Why don't you want to?”  
Nothing.  
“You're the Voice of this fine community, you have so much potential to encourage them into getting their work done on time.”  
Still nothing.  
“Aw...come on Kevin!”  
He finally looked up, a quick, decisive action, and his blazing golden eyes drilled into her black ones. “Leave. Us. Alone!”  
The woman smiled and clapped her hands, “My goodness, what spirit! And what a voice! I can see why people like to listen to you, Kevin.” She stepped down the dais slowly, “But I'm afraid that all this doesn't really matter. You'll join us, one way or another.”  
“Never. I have spent the last few months doing everything I can to stop you and nothing will ever change that!”  
She was overjoyed. He was something special, fiery and passionate. He would not be turned into just another office worker, oh no. Kevin was different.  
She gave a barely noticeable gesture, and the two half-masked smiling figures who had flanked Kevin retreated.  
He noticed that, “Whatever you're doing, it won't work. Someone will always be there to speak for justice—to be the voice of Desert Bluffs!”  
“Yes,” she said, “And it will still be you.”  
A flicker of incomprehension passed over his face, and then she clasped his head in her hands and let all the bright, searing power of the Smiling God flow though her and into him.  
She wasn't expecting resistance.  
Against her bright tide, he fought back with a light of his own, warm and glowing and comforting—not at all like the blistering productivity of the Smiling God. In fact, it was so unexpected that she let go, jumping back, panting.  
Kevin was equally winded, but he had the audacity to smile at her, golden eyes sparkling.  
She snarled, and dove back in. This time, she was expecting the resistance, but even so it was enough to keep her at bay for a moment.  
But he was just one man, and she had an entire Entity behind her. With a final effort, her bright light overwhelmed his golden resistance, blazing into every corner of his mind. Kevin screamed, eyes flashing open, scorching white light pouring out, every muscle taut as what was once him was erased, replaced, reworked-- “Made more productive,” she hissed.  
In a moment, it was over. She wrenched back, and he collapsed forward onto his hands and knees. For a minute, there was no sound but their labored breathing. She recovered first, drawing herself up and adjusting her hair back to perfection. She was actually so ensconced in said productive activity that she didn't hear him get up, and when she turned back she nearly jumped at his proximity. And then he looked at her.  
The light had burnt out his golden eyes, leaving them as flat and black as obsidian. And his smile—oh his smile! It was perfect, so wide and happy, that she couldn't keep from smiling herself.  
“I don't believe we've been properly introduced,” she said, holding out a hand, “Lauren Mallard, Vice President of StrexCorp, Synernists Inc.”  
He shook it, “Kevin R. Free. Voice of Desert Bluffs.”


End file.
